A Look Within Twilight25
by sign144
Summary: Written for the Twilight25 challenge. Each one-shot will be a glimpse into the Cullen's life either before the Twilight saga, during the Twilight saga; or after Breaking Dawn. There will be multiple characters, AV, AH, OOC, AU. Rated M just in case.


The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt #: One  
Pen name: Sign144  
Pairing: Unknown Vampire/Alice  
Rating: T-Teen

Photos for prompts can be found here:  
community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/thetwilight25/13912[dot]html

_**WORTH IT**_

I was running out of time and he was coming for her. I didn't think it would be tonight but it very well could be which was why I needed to get to her first. I couldn't let him have her after everything that she had been through. He would torture her. Just as surely as I had lived lifetimes around him I knew that he would torture her.

He wouldn't just change her. No, he would make it as painful as possible and then he would do the same to the life he was giving her. Hundreds of years spend with a sick, sadistic hunter would drive her beyond the insanity that had led to her being here. She would be trapped in a way that would make these walls seem like paradise in comparison and all for the sake of a gift. A gift that might not travel past the pain of transformation into the darkness of eternity. I couldn't let him do that to her. She was too special.

I shared her gift but with limitations and sight she did not see. One touch and I could see your future but I could also see your past. That was how I knew all I needed to from him. I had seen the people that he had tortured and the lives that he had destroyed. I had seen the pleasure that he took in each one and the hunt and hunger for more. I had seen the way he had landed patient after patient in this hospital and still came by just to remind them of the pain that he had inflicted. And I could see his plans for her but I wouldn't let him have her. She would be spared; she would be happy. I had seen it.

I had seen the family that she would one day join and the love that awaited her. I had seen the joy that she would bring to his life and the hope that she would inspire within him. The absolute hold that he would have on her life and the fact that her heart would always belong to him and even though I was jealous of this mystery man with the scares that would be the one to claim her I knew that he had more right to her than I ever would.

She would save lives and partake in a way of life that I never knew. She wouldn't have the lasting anguish left after centuries of death and blood. She won't know that taste that drives us all. She will be pure and humble and so far above me that it would be madness to even think that I could somehow share her future with her. I could never deserve her. Not even to change her.

Yet that was what I would do. I would change her. At least this way she would stand a fighting chance when he came to call. She would be able to defend herself. To kill if she had too but I didn't see that would be the case. Once her mortal life was gone he wouldn't follow. He would change his goal and he would seek his revenge and I would be waiting. It was a price to pay but for her I would gladly pay it.

It was strange to have lived hundreds of lifetimes and then find the one person you wish had been with you through it all. The one person you wish you could have shared years of travels and changes. Someone that you never would have thought existed and yet to be proven wrong right before the end has been amazing. She has made the difference in my existence and now she will make the difference in so many others. Still to have found her and lose her in so short a time is worse than never knowing her at all. But I will save her and that is better than if I had known her all along.

I crept toward her room keeping my movement as close to human as possible. I would love to rush in, take her and be done with this place but there were eyes and ears everywhere. Surely someone would notice if I moved faster than normal. I had been here to long and my obsession with her was well documented. I had been given warning after warning to keep my distance but I couldn't.

I should have changed her months ago when she was first brought here by that excuse for a family. Their claims of wanting to do what was best for her had been appalling. I had seen their true motive and it was all about them. Their status, their reputation, their desire to be rid of such an embarrassment. They had declared her dead the same day that they had left her here and hadn't been back since.

If I had acted on my selfish nature then she would be mine now and he never would have known of her. We would have left and traveled somewhere far away where I could teach her all that she would need to know in order to survive as I had. She would worship me as the one that saved her from this place and the confines of her mind and showed her a new world and a new life and relished in it with her. She would give me access to that lush body that she kept so well hidden and we would find joy in each other but I had bided my time. Waited until I was sure that her family wouldn't come back, that she wasn't as crazy as they assumed, that she trusted me and now my time was gone and I would lose her before ever really knowing her. But at least she would have a life.

That was what I kept reminding myself of as I lifted the latch to her room and walked in. Looking at her I knew that she was an angel, my angel, and I was about to cast her into hell. I should walk away and let her live out her mortal life in whatever form it takes but I wouldn't. Even if I left he would come for her and I couldn't let him have her.

I lifted her into my arms and ran for it no longer worried who might see. Let them tell tales. No one would believe then and we would not be back to this place. I rushed into the woods placing her on the softest bed of grass I could find. She looked like a wood nymph resting there. Touching her hair as I had wanted to for so long was a torture I didn't realize existed. I placed my lips to hers. This was my one chance to know all that I could have had and to see all that awaited for her, to know that she will be safe and loved.

A million images flashed before me. Her smile, the yellow eyed family, travels, decades of happiness and a human girl that would change everything. I smiled pulling away from her. She would find happiness.

"Thank you" I whispered in her ear. She wouldn't hear me but I could hope that she would understand someday. That maybe this memory would come back to her. "Thank you for changing me. For showing me what I was capable of and for allowing me to love you, whether you knew it or not. I know I should say that I'm sorry for what I'm about to do but trust me, you will have a good life. Far better than what you would have endured if I had left you or if I hadn't changed you and he had."

I pressed my lips to hers once again. If I could cry tears would be rolling down my face at the thought of never seeing her again and I knew that I never would. I wouldn't see the beauty that she was to become. I wouldn't see her smile or hear her laugh. I would never know the happiness of being loved by her but I hoped that she would think fondly of the one that gave her a chance at eternity. That she would look back and be glad for the decision that I was making. That through her finding love and all that came with it she would love me for my sacrifice.

I lifted my head and brushed her hair once more. "I love you Alice" and with that I gave her the only gift I had to give.

I pulled away just before it was too late. I pushed myself to the farthest tree that I could find lest I return and seek nourishment from her again. It had been too long since I had partaken of human blood. Since I had first seen the yellow eyes through her I had begun drinking from animals hoping to be more worthy of her presence and now that fast almost cost her everything. Hers was the most intoxicating blood I had ever had but I couldn't risk her life by taking it all.

I waited as her screams grew louder and louder. I could smell the changes in her blood and knew that it wouldn't be long now. A day, maybe more, but I wouldn't be here to see it. My time was up. My end was coming just as hers was and we would meet it together. It would be the one act we would share.

It might have been smarter to leave and make him chase me but I couldn't leave her to suffer alone. Sure she more than likely had no idea that I was here but I had to hope that my presence gave her some kind of solace. That she could sense my love for her.

"You should have run" The voice came from behind me as if you could sneak up on one of our kind. "You should have left her for me."

"You should have never known her." I snarled back not bothering to turn around. My eyes would stay fixed on my love until they could see no more.

"She was mine"

"No" the anger built inside me. My every instinct to fight and destroy but I held my place. There was nothing left I could do and I needed to buy her time. "She was never yours. She was never even mine. Hers has many miles to come before he finds her."

I knew in that moment he understood. "You can see also."

"More than you ever wanted me too." I let my hatred show on my face. "I know about you James. I know about your sick and twisted way of hunting and the people you relegated to that hell house of a hospital. I know the plans you had for this young one and I know that now she is safe from you."

He was before me then but I kept my eyes on her as I could see the changes take form. "Then you know what I will do to you."

I saw the beauty that was before me. I way that her skin was starting to glisten, the perfection of her face as it relaxed during her final minutes, the tiny smile that seemed to turn her lips up just slightly. "It will be worth it."

"You would sacrifice yourself" the concept was foreign to him "all for her"?

I saw her toes start to wiggle and her fingers stretch. Maybe I would get to see her. Just one glimpse would be all that I would need. "Yes, A million times yes."

"You are a fool" He scoffed.

"Maybe but there will be another such as myself" I shared what I had seen. "He will be willing to sacrifice not just himself but others to save one girl and he will be stronger than me. He will have strengths that I do not possess; family, determination, and mostly love, and he will destroy you."

He laughed at the notion as I knew he would. Those like him never thought there would be consequences to their actions or anyone smart enough to defeat them. Let him think what he will. I took great pleasure in knowing that my angel would be with them when he was finally destroyed. That it would be her to rip the head off his retched body. It would be like I was there with them.

I heard the movements and a sad calm filled me. My time was gone. She would open her eyes soon and be left to this world alone but I knew now that she would see. She would know that there are others waiting for her and she would be fine. She will be cared for and cherished and loved. That was all I could ask for.

I didn't move as I felt my arm being ripped from my body. I wanted my one look, my one chance to see her as she would forever be. Another arm gone and the pain of it was more than any mere mortal could withstand. Worse than the fires that changed me eons ago but still my eyes stayed locked on her. I felt my leg being dragged away and with it my body. He would not destroy me here. I saw his hope. He wanted her to wake up alone. He hoped that would turn her into a wild and savage animal and he would have his revenge that way. That she would still be tortured simply by being alone.

He was so young and naive. It never occurred to him that I already knew that she would be just fine. I gave a humorless snort. He would find out soon enough. For his time was numbered now too. It would only be a matter of decades before he met his end and she would be there so that he would know all his plans had been in vain.

I was inches from death when I heard it. The most beautiful and amazing sound ever to grace this world. "Hello" it was like a chorus of angels calling out. "Is anyone there?"

She wouldn't be able to see us but she would hear us and in a short time she would smell the fire that had already been started. I heard her move and knew that she was walking toward us but she needed to go the other way. James must not see her until it is too late for him to. I willed everything that I was to make her reverse her course and just when I thought all would be lost she stopped. She leaned against a tree and her eyes closed but for a moment and I knew that she had seen them. She now knew her destiny and she would be safe.

She ran in the opposite direction and with one quick glance behind her I got my greatest wish. A small glimpse at the beauty that had changed my life and she was all that I had known she would be. She was magnificence incarnate. So much more than I ever thought she would be. I had seen visions of what she was to become but to cast my eyes on the real woman was nothing short of amazing. I would take that image into whatever awaited for me after this life was over and I could only hope that it would comfort me when all else was gone.

I had been wrong also. It was more than a million times worth my sacrifice. There wasn't an amount to equal how worth it this was and as I closed my eyes and felt James teeth rip into my neck I knew that the other I spoke about would understand. He would know she was worth any sacrifice and that knowledge along with the love he would share would be enough to do what I couldn't. He would save his love as I had mine only his life wouldn't be forfeited. His life and Alice's would flourish and their time would last for infinity.

**AN: Okay I hope you liked my first one-shot for the Twilight25 challenge. I must say that it came together differently than I thought it would but I love it.**

**Just a few housekeeping things, number one, I don't own Twilight or any of its characters. Number two; please go vote for my entry into "The One With All The Twilight" contest. I have the link on my profile. Number three; I have the picture from the prompt on my webpage as well a song for the story. I plan on doing that for all the prompts so be sure to check it out.**

**Lastly, I plan on posting every week but next week I will be out of town. If I can get prompt two done before I leave then it will be up either Monday or Tuesday. If not it will be up the following week. Either way have a great Memorial day!**


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